.Bayview School of Cooking!

I’ve been teaching appetizer classes for fifteen years and what I look for in a recipe is always the same. It has to be exciting and a little different, it has to be really good, and it has to be easy. If it’s not easy, you probably won’t make it (at least more than once!). You might make a more difficult entrée, but you’re not going to have time for several involved appetizers.

This is the fourth recipe I featured in my first class fifteen years ago and it’s about as easy and quick as they come. It’s also very impressive and will definitely turn heads. Perfect for the holiday season, you’ll probably make this more than once.

A few notes. Don’t be afraid to melt sugar without adding water. Just keep stirring and it will eventually melt into a light golden amber. Use a light hand when drizzling your melted sugar over the brie or else it will be hard to break! And, feel free to use a smaller whole brie—just adjust the amount of the other ingredients.

Place brie on a white, heat resistant serving plate. Sprinkle fruits and nuts over brie, reserving a bit for later. Place sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir constantly until sugar melts and starts to turn golden.

Immediately pour the caramel over the Brie being careful to pour in light streams across cheese. Immediately scatter the rest of the fruits and nuts over the caramel. Serve with table water crackers. May be prepared up to 3 hours before serving.

Like this:

BSC’s 2018-19 Winter Brochure is Now Available! This brochure includes new classes for November, December, January and February!

You can pick one up at Bayview Thriftway, Ralph’s Thrifway and Storman’s Inc.!!! You may also view or download it for your viewing pleasure online at: www.bayviewschoolofcooking.com

Our Holiday Classes are featured on the cover and the splash page so be sure to browse out your cooking and event options, including Taste the Holiday Spirit on December 8th and a Hands-On Adult + Child Gingerbread Building Class on December 9th and oh so much more!

Sign up quickly for any or all of our classes because they fill up quickly –
call (360) 754-1448! Have fun!

Like this:

In the first class I taught at BSC 15 years ago, I included an hors d’oeuvres that I had just discovered and was quite smitten with. It seemed fancy and impressive but also pretty easy to prepare. If I now had to name my all-time favorite appetizer recipe, this would be it! If you have a rosemary plant, it’s lovely to blanket your serving dish with branches and set the scallops right on them. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, it also has the practical purpose of keeping the scrumptious little bites from sitting in their own juices. Don’t skip the detail of rolling the wrapped scallop in the rosemary-lemon zest mixture after they’re cooked—that’s the very best part! And, be sure to watch your masterpieces carefully in the oven because they burn very easily. I guarantee that these will be the hit of any party!

In this series featuring the appetizers that were part of my first class, I’m leaving out the Chive-Spiked Smoked Salmon on Chips because I’ve already given you that recipe. Just look for it under “Appetizers” on the left-hand side. I’d like to mention though that the salmon mixture is also divine on endive leaves topped with a little crème fraîche. So delicious and addictive!

Like this:

Fifteen years ago, I taught my first class at the Bayview School of Cooking. I had never spoken in front of a crowd, let alone teach a class, so to say that I was scared out of my mind seems like a massive understatement. One of the founders of the cooking school had been our church secretary during the time I was the chairperson of the hospitality committee there, and she thought I should teach a class. It seemed like an exciting idea when she suggested it, so I submitted a menu of fall appetizers.

A week before my class, I literally felt like I was going to be facing a death sentence on the given day. I had a full class of 25 people and my nerves insured that my performance was short of stellar. But, I had some very supportive assistants and the food was good! I taught a class almost every single month after that, for over 7 years, until I took over as director.

In celebration of our 15-year anniversary, I thought I’d share the recipes from that nerve-wracking class. I make this first one often. It’s very close to Seattle’s Chef Kathy Casey’s original recipe, with a few minor changes. You see fried olives on many menus these days, but I like this little olive bite better, and it goes marvelously with cocktails!

By the way, we now have a feature to help you find recipes on this blog. On the left-hand side of the page you’ll see various categories such as main dishes, desserts, etc. so you can retrieve a recipe a little easier!

Like this:

Because our first Saturday classes filled so quickly, we’ve added two additional BSC Kids Culinary Arts Program classes for November!

For 5 to 8 years old cooks:

Sunday, November 4th; 9:00-11:30amHarvest Time in the Kitchen!
Instructor: Irene Schade

Fall is harvest time so what better than hearty food for dinner? Irene and her helpers will help you make a dinner menu that starts with Chex Mix with a Harvest Twist. Then it’s a bowl of Harvest Stew with Smoked Sausage served with Fall-Spiced Corn Bread, all served with fresh apple cider!

It’s harvest time and Irene and her assistants have a hearty dinner menu that you can learn to make for your family and friends at home! It starts with Chex Mix with a Harvest Twist, and Harvest Salad with Pumpkin Goddess Dressing. Then it’s a bowl of Harvest Stew with Smoked Sausage served with Fall-Spiced Cornbread. Enjoy fresh apple cider with your meal!

The Bayview School of Cooking’s program for kids strives to provide a fun and safe environment where children can learn age-appropriate cooking skills as well as an appreciation for new and different foods.

In order to guarantee your child a seat in a camp or a class, pre-registration is required. Call (360) 754-1448 to register or feel free to call with questions!

Like this:

Debbie Macomber’s Table class is full but please join us in welcoming her at the special Book Signing Event from 4:00-5:30 pm. If you wish to contribute a toy toward Debbie’s selected charity, The Olympia Toy Run, please feel free to bring one!Friday, November 2: Book Signing: 5:00-6:00 pm; Class: 6:00-8:30 pm

Debbie Macomber is one of today’s most popular writers with over 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and 13 of these have hit the number one spot! Five of her Christmas books have been made into Hallmark movies and her Cedar Cove series was made into a television series. Now she visits BSC to sign copies of and talk about her new cookbook, Debbie Macomber’s Table: Sharing the Joy of Cooking with Family and Friends. In class, Leanne will join Debbie to make some of the recipes from her book including, Sweet and Salty Nuts, Carrot-Ginger Soup, Crunchy Ramen Salad with Honey-Ginger Vinaigrette, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken served with rice, and Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Zest Frosting. All proceeds from this class will benefit The Olympia Toy Run. Be sure to sign up early for this very special opportunity! BSC page link

Like this:

Our popular BSC Kids Culinary Arts program just added two repeat classes to the 2018 Fall schedule….register quickly because the seats will fill soon. Call (360) 754-1448 to register or with questions.

It’s back to school and Irene and her helpers would like to welcome you back to Saturday Kids classes by reciting the ABCs of cooking! “A” is for Asparagus Risotto, creamy and warm, “B” is for Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts, that go crunch, and “C” is for Cherry Crepes, red, juicy and sweet! And “L” is for lemonade, the drink of the day! Who knew the ABCs could be this yummy?
$35

You may know your ABCs but do you know the ABCs of cooking? Join Irene and her assistants for a lesson in the kitchen starting with “A,” which stands for Asparagus Risotto, a creamy rice dish that involves lots of stirring and can be adapted to many different ingredients. “B” is for Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts, tasty morsels that are hard to resist and wonderful to start any meal! “C” stands for Cherry Crepes, a delicious dessert that’s also very adaptable, and “Z” stands for Ziti Noodle Bake, a favorite with everyone! And, “L” is for lemonade, the drink of the day!
$35